Language
Language 7/8 Literary Devices
1. Literal meaning
- the words are to be taken as a true description of something.
- a summary of what was actually presented.
2. Figurative meaning
- the words are NOT to be taken as the true description of something.
- there is a deeper meaning implied in the words given.
3. Mood
- the feelings created in the reader by the author. (It may increase or decrease throughout a selection.)
4. Tone
- the feelings of the author expressed in his/her writing.
5. Diction
- word choice.
- affects other devices such as mood and characterization.
6. Style
- the way in which an individual expresses and communicates his/her ideas, thoughts and feelings in a piece of writing.
- every author tries to establish their own unique style
(ex. Stephen King has a horror style.)
7. Simile
- a comparison between two things using the words “like” or “as”.
8. Metaphor
- a comparison between two things NOT using the words
“like” or “as”.
- stronger than a simile but harder to use well.
9. Personification
- the process of giving living characteristics to non-living things.
10. Imagery
- language that appeals to the senses.
- five types:
1) Visual/Sight Imagery (* The strongest type)
2) Sound Imagery
3) Taste Imagery
4) Touch Imagery
5) Smell Imagery
11. Conflict
- the struggle between opposing forces.
- three types:
1) External Conflict (Man vs. Nature)
2) Interpersonal Conflict (Man vs. Man)
3) Internal Conflict (Man vs. Himself)
12. Setting
- the time, place, and circumstances in which a story takes place.
- Time: clock time AND calendar time
- Place: local place AND global place
- Circumstances: W-5
13. Suspense
- increased interest in a story leading to the climax. (It may increase or decrease throughout a selection.)
- also called Rising Action.
14. Plot ( and diagram )
- the sequence of events in a story. (The “ABC’s”- “A” happened then “B” happened...)
15. Symbolism
- the process where some object is used to stand for or represent a quality or idea.
16. Character
- a “person” in a play, poem, novel, or short story.
17. Character Sketch
- telling what a character is like.
18. Characterization
- showing what a character is like.
19. Moral
- the underlying message or lesson found within a piece of writing.
20. Theme
- the subject, topic, or main idea in a piece of writing.
- must be written in a theme statement focusing on a theme word.
ex. Theme word = love
Theme = Unconditional love is powerful but may
lead to destruction.
21. Purpose
- the reason for a selection.
ex. To persuade, to incite, to entertain, to convince, to educate, to inform, to empathize...
22. Target Audience
- the intended audience of a selection.
ex. Children under five, working adults, rich people, doctors, high school students...
23. Irony
- the contrast between what appears to be so and what really is.
- the difference between what is said and what is meant.
- * the “opposite” of what is expected.
24. Point of View
- the position from which events are seen, a story is told, or an argument is made.
- two types:
1) First Person Point of View
- the narrator is one of the characters in the story. (I, We, Us)
- * the more personal of the two types of point of view
2) Third Person Point of View
- the narrator is completely outside the story.
(He, She, They)
25. Climax
-the highest point of interest in a story.
- the turning point in the story’s plot.
26. Narrative
- a piece of poetry or prose that tells a story.
27. Main Character
-a character who directly affects the plot of a story.
28. Minor Character
- a character who does not directly affect the plot of a story.
- is more a part of the setting or atmosphere.
- also called a secondary character.
29. Surprise Ending
- a sudden ending to a story, usually right at the Climax.
- usually involves a twist of some kind so that the reader has to change his/her point of view, or attitude toward the story.
30. Stanza
- a paragraph in poetry.
31. Stereotype
- a fixed impression where an individual is looked upon as having the "normal" characteristics of their group, without any room being made for individual differences.
ex. The Grandmother Stereotype= old, wrinkled, weak, gray hair, shaky ...
ex. The Man Stereotype= strong, brave, provides for family, doesn't cry...
32. Comparison
- pointing out the similarities and differences between 2 things/people.
33. Contrast
- pointing out only the differences between 2 things/people.
34. Foreshadowing
- something in a story's plot that gives a hint or clue about what will happen at a later point in time. (A contrary idea to Flashback.) ex. A graveyard mentioned early in a story's setting may hint at the idea of a death that occurs later.
35. Flashback
- the process of reverting back to a previous point in time in order to explain some element of the present plot.
(A contrary idea to Foreshadowing.)
36. Narrator
- the person who is telling a story/poem.
37. Author
- the person who writes a story/poem.
- the author and narrator are not necessarily the same person.
38. Fiction
- prose stories in which the characters and events are wholly or
partially imaginary.
ex. novels
short stories
fables
myths
39. Non-fiction
- a piece of Prose which is based on real things or true events.
40. Biography
- the story of a person's life written by another person.
41. Autobiography
- the story of a person's life written by that person himself/herself.
* Auto = self
42. Poetry
- writing that uses a more concentrated form of language than ordinary speech or Prose.
- words in poems often have a controlled rhythm.
- often arranged in short lines.
- composed of lines and stanzas.
- interpretation of poetry is very individual.
43. Prose
- the usual form of written language in which ideas are expressed
in complete sentences that follow one another in a continuous flow.
-stories are considered Prose.
44. Pseudonym
- a false name used by a writer to disguise their true identity.
- also known as “a pen name” or “un nom de plume”
45. Short Story
- a short piece of prose fiction which usually revolves around a single episode in a character's life.
- usually has only one major turning point, or Climax.
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